Cristian Romero says ‘the journey wasn’t perfect’ as he confirms Tottenham exit
Cristian Romero has confirmed his departure from Tottenham, acknowledging that he was not always perfect while maintaining the club will forever hold a place in his heart.
The defender leaves north London after a five-year spell to complete a 40 million euros (£34.1m) move to Atletico Madrid, with a 15 per cent sell-on clause included as part of the overall package.
Although the Argentina international divided opinion across 156 games due to several suspensions, he was named man of the match in the 2025 Europa League final against Manchester United, bringing Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought to an end.
“Today, I say goodbye to a place that, for five seasons, was much more than a club,” Romero said on Instagram.
He added: “It was my home, my challenge and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.
“I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together.
“When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did it.
“The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.”
He added: “Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me.
“I know I wasn’t perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.
“Thank you for everything. I’m leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever.
“With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye Spurs.”
Romero fired frequent thinly-veiled digs at the board over a perceived lack of ambition during an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign for Spurs.
A string of outstanding displays helped inspire the club to European success in Bilbao the following season.
He was critical of Spurs’ hierarchy several times before a knee injury in April curtailed last season for him, with the club in the Premier League relegation zone.
A final nail in the coffin for many supporters was Romero’s actions in the final week of the campaign after he was allowed to fly to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation.
It sparked a backlash from fans and even though Romero got a flight back to watch the win over Everton which secured survival, new boss Roberto De Zerbi gave the 28-year-old the green light to move on.
He is now finally set to work under compatriot Diego Simeone at Atletico after years of links to the LaLiga club.
